Firefalls and memories

[ambitious_wench]

The oldest I could have been was about 5. I remember it was cold, and I remember being huddled against my mother's leg for warmth. I remember her enthusiasm as she described what I would see, a river of fire flowing down the granite face of the mountain before us. I remember brilliant stars. I mostly remember the cold, though.

I remember dozing. I remember being awaken by my mother. "Edie, look, you can see the fire at the top!"

I thought the fire would be falling, and was vaguely disappointed to see nothing more than a small glow at the top of the mountain.

I remember hearing people murmuring "Let the fire fall, already!"

I remember a shout:

"Let the fire fall!"

I heard gasps, I think my mother picked me up because the crowd around us pressed together for some reason, and I couldn't see.

Slowly the embers fell.

I forgot that it was cold, that I was tired. I watched with fascination as the fire fell from the granite mountain. I remember being worried that it would start a fire in the valley, in spite of my mother's reassurance that it was safe.



The last firefall was on January 25th, 1968.

There are scars on the granite cliff from the firefalls. Red fir bark was stripped for the fires because it would produce long-lasting embers. And the meadows in the valley suffer from the trampling of crowds.

I'm not one to propose a return of the firefalls. But I remember that night, and the wonder of fire falling from the sky in the darkness.

And should I find a DVD of the firefalls, I will certainly buy it for memory's sake.

Comments

[turnberryknkn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing.

[texas-tiger.livejournal.com]

....

Wow.

[halfamo.livejournal.com]

It must have been quite a mystical/magical sight!